Reggae artiste Buju Banton was on Friday released from prison nine years after he was first arrested on drug charges.
Buju, whose given name is Mark Myrie boarded a flight in the United States this afternoon enroute to Jamaica.
Here is the timeline of his tangle with the justice system:
December 10, 2009 – Buju Banton arrested in Miami and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession of more than five kilograms of cocaine.
January 8, 2010 – Banton pleaded not guilty to a drug charge in a court in Florida.
September 21, 2010 – An informant testified during trial that he met Banton on a plane from Spain and Miami at the end of the artiste’s European tour in 2009. Johnson said that they began talking about drugs early in the flight.
September 27, 2010 – A Florida judge declared a mistrial in Banton’s first trial as jurors failed to reach a verdict.
November 11, 2010 – Banton granted bail by an immigration court in Florida and granted house arrest.
February 16, 2011 – He was allowed to perform one concert between trials, which was held on 16 January 2011 to a sold-out crowd in Miami
February 13, 2011 – Buju won a Grammy for the best reggae album of 2010 for “Before the Dawn”.
February 14, 2011 – Second trial starts in Tampa, Florida.
February 23, 2011 – Convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it, along with a further drug trafficking offence and a gun charge. However, he was acquitted of a fourth charge for attempted cocaine possession.
June 23, 2011 – Banton sentenced to 10 years in prison.
February 4, 2011 – Buju’s new legal team files appeal.
August 20, 2014 – Banton granted a new appeal hearing on drug charges.
May 14, 2015 – Federal prosecutors agreed to drop the firearms charges levelled against Buju who in turn waived his right to an appeal.
September 29, 2015: A federal juror in the trial was found guilty of misconduct and then sentenced to five months of probation and 40 hours of community service.
January 3, 2017 – The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website reported the artiste’s new release date as December 8, 2018.
December 7, 2018 – Buju released from prison
His hair grew so long. Love u Buju.
So many mistrial and still found guilty. A who dem a fool. Buju dem caa kill the root. Selah Black Kingman..